Non-Poultry Bird Diseases and Resources

The diseases covered in this section primarily affect pet birds, wild birds or zoo birds. According to a 2007 AVMA survey, approximately 4.5 million U.S. households have pet birds, with an average of 2.5 birds per household, or almost 11.2 million pet birds nationwide. Wild birds species provide aesthetic enjoyment to people, perform ecological services such as seed dispersal, pollination, predation, scavenging, and nutrient deposition. These birds also migrate hundreds and thousands of miles to find the best ecological conditions for feeding and raising their young. This movement often crosses many international borders, and may serve in the dispersal of some diseases; this makes global cooperation and collaboration necessary for conservation and disease surveillance. Transboundary animal diseases affecting pet birds and wild birds are found below. Some of these diseases are zoonotic.